Todokanu Omoi- My Friend's Love
by Snarf
Summary: Yaten has discovered he is in love with Ami. The only problem is, she's dating Taiki. The title is inspired from a song by the Starlights. R&R appreciated.
1. Default Chapter

TODOKANU OMOI-MY FRIEND'S LOVE

TODOKANU OMOI-MY FRIEND'S LOVE

Part 1

The stars twinkled in the evening sky, as though inviting the half moon to play as it moved slowly across. "This is a romantic night, isn't it?" Ami asked her tall companion as they walked down the street.

Taiki shrugged. "I suppose so," he answered, seeing nothing more than the stars and a half moon. He saw her shining eyes, then tried once again to see the night sky as she would; as something other than the darkness of physical space blurred by an Earthly atmosphere. He silently shook his head. /Where does she come up with such illogical notions?/ he thought as they walked into the courtyard of his home. Stars were stars, moons were moons, that was all there was to it. Taiki had seen many in his travels throughout the universe, none had left that sort of impression on him. "Want to come in for tea or something?" he asked, politely opening the door for her.

She stepped inside, reluctant to leave the pleasant night air tinged with the soft scent of cherry blossoms. It was a night for wishes to come true, for dreams, for lovers. Ami blushed at that thought, wondering if Taiki felt the same. She glanced at him as they removed their shoes, hoping for a knowing smile. As usual, his face was like granite: frozen and utterly unreadable.

"Did you want to see Professor Yamamoto's book on matrix equations?" he asked her, eyes alight with interest. Before she could answer, he told her, "Wait here. I'll go get it."

Ami hugged herself silently, crossing the hall to wait for Taiki in the living room. She tried to will away the disappointment that was creeping into her heart. When Taiki had asked her out earlier that evening, she had had different expectations. Stargazing, perhaps, just sitting near Juuban Lake, curled up in the moment of just being together. Instead, they went to a lecture, something which did interest her, but not for a date.

Ami sighed, dwelling upon her relationship with Taiki. She had often wished he would look at her in the same way he looked at a textbook; eyes alight with interest, glowing with desire. She knew it was unrealistic to think of him quoting love verses from Shakespeare, whispering soft nothings into her ear. However, whenever they were alone together, he was still stiff, so mechanical. /Maybe we just need time. After all, love is different for different people. I can't expect him to be like Mamoru./

She shook her head, clearing her mind from such depressing thoughts, and entered the living room. She noticed a familiar white-haired figure curled up on the couch. She stood over him, smiling to herself. /Too tired for bed, Yaten?/ He rolled over at that moment, and she saw he was clutching an open book called 'Basic Principles of Thermodynamics' to his chest.

Moments later, he yawned, blinking his eyes open and smiled dreamily at her, something that had recently made her heart pound. "Isn't that a little out of your league?" she asked, trying to calm down her nervousness.

"Nope," he grinned, letting go of the book. Suddenly realizing what she was talking about, he shot up, frowning slightly. It passed just as quickly as it came, and replacing it with an honest grin, he motioned for her to sit on the couch. "How'd the date go?" he asked.

"The usual," she answered blandly. "Professor Hashigawa's lecture on the principles of econometrics was quite fascinating."

Yaten stared at her, and she wondered if he had caught the notion that that wasn't the whole truth. Finally, he blurted out, "You went to a *lecture* for a *date*?!"

Ami laughed with relief. "What's wrong with that?"

"No dinner? No dancing? No movie?" He shook his head disapprovingly. "That Taiki!"

"Well, what about you?" Ami teased. "All alone on a Saturday night? Too much fan mail to answer?"

"Fans!" Yaten snorted, scowling as if he had eaten something sour. "What do they know about..." his eyes suddenly took a more serious gleam. "Ami, you became friends with us because we were popular, right?"

"Well... yes, I guess I did like you because you were famous before. But, now that I know you, I like you even more."

"You're serious about that?"

"Yes." She smiled at him, almost glowing. "You are very special to me."

Yaten knew she meant all three of them, still he clung to the thread of hope rising in his heart that it meant something more. "You mean that?" he asked again, staring directly into the blue pools of her eyes, searching for that one thing to cling to.

Ami found she could not pull away from his eyes, caught like a deer in headlights. He was searching for something from her, looking deep within her heart, almost to her soul. And she couldn't stop him. Nor did she want to.

He inched closer, drawing her into his own gold-green eyes with a need she couldn't explain with words. She felt his breath mingle with her own, reminding her intimately of a kiss. Ami's heart raced at the idea, both dreading and wanting it at the same time. "Yaten, are you up?" Taiki's voice interrupted them, tinged with annoyance. They jerked back from each other, both conscious of the intimate position they had been in.

"Uh, yeah, I'm up," Yaten made a big deal of yawning and stretching. "Heard you had an *interesting* date."

"It was." The coldness of the words chilled the previous mood, swallowing it whole.

Yaten shrugged, tossing the book from his lap onto the floor. "Yeah, sure. I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Yaten!" Ami picked up the forgotten book with shaking hands. "What about...?"

"You keep it," he waved back at her. "You'd understand it better than me anyway."

Ami stared after him as he left, her usually candid face unreadable. Taiki looked back and forth from both of them, his stone face masking the conflicting emotions within.

*****

Seiya heard the door to Yaten's room slam shut. He looked at it a moment, caught in indecision, then knocked on the door. "Yaten?"

"Go away," came the response.

Seiya opened the door. "Yaten, are you okay?"

"What part of 'go away' don't you understand?" Yaten grumbled at him from his bed, staring sullenly at the ceiling.

/He's got it bad./ "Do you want to go out and shoot some hoops?" Yaten gave him a look that clearly said *No*. "Anything I can help you with?" When he received silence, Seiya noticed the half-finished painting in the corner. "What's this?" he asked, walking towards it for a better inspection.

"'s a present for Taiki's birthday."

"Hmmm, Ami looks beautiful. You've captured her well. But, how come Taiki's not finished?"

Yaten flipped onto his stomach, looking away from Seiya.

/Now I see./ "You know, Yaten, there are a lot of other girls dying to go out with you."

"That's cause I'm the best-looking one."

Seiya raised an eyebrow in response. "Oh, really?" he teased. "Who told you that?"

"Look, is there something you want from me?"

Seiya sat down on the bed, understanding in his voice. "Yaten, really, why don't you go and talk to her? Maybe her mind isn't set on Taiki after all."

"What do *you* know about this stuff? The one girl *you* fell in love with *dumped* you for someone else!"

Slowly, calmly restraining his anger, Seiya rose from the bed. "You know, I take it back. I think she's better off with Taiki anyway." He forcefully slammed the door shut behind him, stalking off to his room. /See if I ever help you again, you ungrateful jerk./

Seiya stormed into his room, not caring if they heard him downstairs. He slumped down in the chair at his desk, banging the drawers shut. A picture frame toppled to the floor, 

and as he picked it up, he realized it was the one picture he had of Usagi, the only picture he would ever get of her.

Heartache swept over him as he passed his fingers over her sunny face, marking the one moment in time he could ever have her. /I have to let go sometime,/ he chided himself, clenching his jaw. /Maybe I better just forget her./

He made as if to throw the picture out the window, then stopped, replacing it gently from where it fell. /I can't. I can't just forget her. That's why I came back in the first place: to be near her again. I didn't know it would hurt so much to see her smiling at *him*, to see her loving *him*./ Her picture blurred as tears welled up in his eyes. /You told yourself you didn't care. You lied, Seiya./ He rubbed his eyes, willing the tears away. /I think I 

need to go shoot some hoops anyway./


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Todokanu Omoi-My Friend's Love

TODOKANU OMOI-MY FRIEND'S LOVE

Chapter 2

It had been an hour since Seiya had finally come inside and went to bed, two since Ami left, and Taiki was still up. He had buried himself in poetry, literally poetry about love, searching for the correct words to describe his relationship with Ami. Sighing, he shut the book, thinking over what had happened that night.

/I would have to be blind to not realize what is going on,/ he thought, mulling over the past events. This wasn't the first time this had happened, either. Somehow, within the past few months, Yaten had been paying a lot more attention to Ami than he ever did for any girl at all. And tonight had verified Taiki's theory: Yaten was in love with Ami.

/So, why aren't I upset about all of this? I should be boiling over with jealousy right about now, or at the very least, a little overprotective of Ami, shouldn't I be? And I'm not. I don't mind one bit./ That was what troubled him the most: he was almost happy about it.

So he had turned to poetry to see weather he loved Ami or not and the answer turned out to be clearly, no. He sighed, burying himself in his thoughts. /Why did I start to date her then? Because she was my intellectual equal. As much as I love Seiya and Yaten, I know I bore both of them with things that I find the most interesting. Ami finds the same things interesting, so I guess it was logical./

Taiki rose and went to the kitchen, trying to find some tea to help him with his thoughts. He found the basketball Seiya had used lying abandoned in the kitchen; tossed haphazardly in the sink. /Poor Seiya,/ Taiki thought, returning the ball back to the basement with all the others. /I wonder what made him go out? Was it thinking about Usagi again? I remember how awful he felt six months ago, the pain was visible on his face no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Yaten and I felt so useless then because there was nothing we could do. I still can not believe he harbors those feelings after six months!/

/Do I want Yaten to go through the same thing? No, I should prevent that. No one should have to live through such pain. If I truly loved Ami, I wouldn't be able to help, but I don't. I enjoy her company and her friendship, but that is all. Besides/ he started to smile, /she likes him too. Perhaps she just hasn't realized it yet. No, I know she hasn't realized it yet./

/So what should I do? The easiest thing would be to dump her. That way Yaten will go after her instead of backing away because she is my girlfriend. Yes. Tomorrow I should end Ami's and my 'relationship'./ Yawning, Taiki realized he didn't need, or want the tea any longer. He had resolved his conflict, which made the weight of his heart lighter. /I'm glad this is all working out so well. Soon, everyone can be happy again./

* * *

Early the next morning, Seiya woke up and started his usual morning jog. He still needed to clear his head from all the things that went on the night before; something an hour of basketball and four hours of troubled sleep didn't help. /At least I'm getting healthier./ he mused, ignoring the beautiful scenery around him. He hoped he wouldn't have to meet up with Mamoru; that would just ruin what little peace he had captured. And with all the other emotional problems running around his home, he needed to escape for a while.

After an hour, Seiya rounded the bend on the last leg of the jog feeling somewhat refreshed. Panting, he stood at the gate to their home for a few minutes, wondering if he should go in. /Jeez, Seiya, what are you trying to do? You *live* with them! You can't avoid them! Still, how am I going to deal with this? They're both my friends!/ He shook his head. /I thought jogging was supposed to clear my head, not mess it all up again. Well, I just won't deal with it right now./ He ran up the steps and went inside.

"I'm home!" he called out loudly, taking off his shoes. An answering call wafted out from the kitchen. Seiya entered it to find Yaten with his head buried in the refrigerator. "What are you looking for?" he asked, choosing to forget the harsh words Yaten had said last night.

"Food. There's none in here." Yaten impertinently slammed the door shut. "Your jog must've been longer than usual, you smell worse."

"Jogging helps clear the head," Seiya replied, taking his turn at the fridge.

Yaten looked away. "About last night...."

"Forget about it," Seiya gave him a hearty clap on the shoulder. "It's over. Anyway, for once, you're right. We haven't got any food. Who's turn was it to go shopping?"

"Taiki's." Yaten let out a displeased snort. "He's been so preoccupied lately he's neglected just about everything!"

Seiya did not want to bring up Ami again. "That's okay, I'll just do it on the way home."

"We've got no breakfast! How can going shopping on the way home fix that?" Yaten delicately picked Seiya's hand off his shoulder. "And don't touch me. I don't want to go to school smelling like a monkey."

"Oh?" Seiya grinned mischievously, then grabbed Yaten in a bear hug. "How do you like this, hmmmm???"

"Hey! Let go!" Yaten wriggled out of Seiya's grasp. "Oh, yuck! You're wet! I'm going to rinse this gunk off!" He stormed out of the kitchen, nearly bumping into Taiki.

Seiya laughed, "Did you see the look on his face? If only I had a camera!"

"I am going to school early today," Taiki announced, fastidiously rearranging the books in his bag. "I have something important to discuss with Professor Aoki."

"Well, if you wait a bit, we'll go with you," Seiya said, peeling off his shirt. "We haven't got any breakfast here, anyway."

"No bother. Yaten will most likely be a while in the bathroom." Taiki glanced almost wistfully towards the upstairs. "He really does like her, doesn't he?"

It took Seiya a moment to figure out what Taiki was talking about. /There goes not dealing with it./ "Listen, Taiki..."

"It is all right," Taiki gave him a wan smile. "I am not upset, and this does not change things between us. In fact, I even have a solution." He clapped the strap shut on his bag with finality. "I am leaving, now."

Seiya watched him go, feeling trapped in the middle. But what could he do? /God, this sucks. Someone's going to be hurt, and I can't do anything about it! Maybe I shouldn't have dragged them both back here. It would have been better for all of us, anyway./

* * *

"AAAAAMMIIIII!"

Ami turned around, greeting Makoto with a warm smile. "You're up early this morning!"

"Yeah," Makoto grinned, "I've got a meet in a few weeks, so the track club's holding extra practices in the morning. Don't tell me the computer club's the same way?"

"No, I just go to school early to get some extra studying in." Ami looked down at her bag. /I wish that were the only reason./

Knowing it wasn't like Ami to be so depressed, Makoto dismissed beating around the bush. "Ami? Is everything okay? You look a little down."

"Is... is it possible to be in love with two people at the same time?" Her voice was small, ashamed.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Carefully, Ami revealed what had been going on for a few weeks. "Is it selfish of me, Makoto? How can I like them both? I'm supposed to be in love with Taiki, right? So, why am I feeling this way about Yaten?"

Makoto sighed. "I don't know, Ami. Love just happens sometimes. And how do you know its love? It could be just a big crush because he's famous. Just about everyone in the country has that about one or all of them."

"But still... I know I have to choose between them, and maybe a week before I would have chosen Taiki without question, but now... I just don't know..."

"I've got an idea! Why don't you come over to my place this afternoon? We'll make cookies and sort all of this out, okay?" Makoto grinned at Ami's nod. "Boy, I'm jealous, though. Two of the Three Lights in love with you! Rei's gonna be pissed!"

Ami blushed. "I don't think they're *both* in love with me."

"Oh, sure they're not," Makoto teased, pleased that she was able to help Ami just a little bit this morning. "If Yaten's even looking at you without disdain, he's got something going for you. I can't even get him to look at *me* half the time, and I'm the tallest person in the school!"

"Oh, he isn't like that at all. He's like Rei in a way; hard on the outside, but inside really caring." Ami flushed as she realized what she was blabbering.

"Sounds to me you really like him."

"N-no! No, it's... it's like you said! A crush! After all, he'd just be nice to me because I'm dating Taiki, right? And he *is* famous, so I'm bound to like him a little more than normal boys, right?"

"Ami," Makoto lowered her voice, the teasing gone out of it. "Who are you trying to convince? Me, or you?"

"We're here," Ami said, relieved she could get away from the conversation. Talking to Makoto was only driving her in circles and her heart was tied up in knots to begin with. "I'm going to the computer lab, now."

"You'll meet me after school, right?" Makoto wanted to make sure Ami wasn't going to skip out on their talk. Ami was going to need it, and ten minutes while walking to school wasn't enough to help. Makoto thought about shirking practice, though Yukiko would have killed her, but decided against it. Ami seemed to need some space.

Ami nodded briefly, wishing Makoto well in practice before rushing to the safety of the school doors. /Why is this happening to *me*? I don't know how to deal with this sort of thing! I... I love Taiki and that's all there is to it!/ She hurried to the computer lab, knowing Taiki was going to be there and needing to confirm for herself that she was right.

* * *

Taiki was in the computer room, typing, but his mind was reeling. He knew he had to dump Ami, but he didn't want to hurt her too much. /'Dump' is such a harsh word, too. I wish we weren't dating, so I could just let her go. Or, perhaps just ignore her for a while./

"Taiki?" Ami's tentative voice, along with the soft pad of her footsteps, neared him.

/I suppose I can't get out of it now. It is either now, or never./ "Good morning," he answered flatly, eyes fixated on the screen.

Ami stood behind him a moment, waiting for him to turn about and recognize she was in the room. He continued to type, the clackety-clack of the keys the only sound in the now tense room. She gulped, willing herself to be strong though her heart was thudding against her chest with realization. "I was thinking, if you're not busy tonight we could-"

Taiki swiftly cut her off, his back still towards her, in a voice that was cold and calculating. "I'm sorry, but I will be busy tonight. In fact, I'm going to be busy these next few months on a special project at school, so it would probably be better if we didn't go out for a while." /There, that should do it./

Ami trembled inwardly, not wanting this to be happening. She forced herself to continue, thinking perhaps it was Taiki's idea of a joke. "Um, that's okay, really. I mean, we can always see each other on Sundays, right?"

"I'll be busy Sundays too." /Don't do this to me,/ Taiki told her mentally, seeing no reason to draw this out any further. /Just please take the hint./

Ami knew what was going on, she was deathly terrified that it was. Pretending that she misunderstood his meaning, she pressed on as if to force herself in his heart. "Is it something I can help on? I know astronomy well, and-"

"It's a solitary project. I need to do it alone."

"I know that, but I could still help with-"

"Ami, I don't want you to help me. I don't want to see you right now." Taiki continued to type, bitterly, fingers almost pounding the keys into the keyboard. /Please, please understand! Don't make me do this!/

"But, I thought that you love-"

Taiki quickly doused any last hope she could cling to. "I don't feel that way about you, so I don't think we ought to see each other any more. I only dated you because it was logical for us; as you see we are the most compatible since we are both smart."

"I see." Ami felt sick, her stomach tuning inside out as her heart was torn in two. Taiki had slapped her in the face with rejection, and she was too stupid and cowardly to accept it. Tears swelled in her eyes, burning with shame and regret. "I'm sorry for disturbing you." Quickly she fled before the tears spilled over onto her cheeks. /Idiot! Idiot!/ she savagely tore at herself. /He never loved you! It was all a lie!/

/I'm sorry,/ Taiki thought after her, truly regretting being so harsh. /But it'll be better this way. You'll see. It'll be better this way./

[previous][1]||[song][2]||[o3.html][3]

   [1]: o1.html
   [2]: song.txt
   [3]: o3.html



	3. Chapter 3

Title: Todokanu Omoi-My Friend's Love

Author's note: The beginning of this fic takes place a bit before the end of the last chapter- basically Yaten has just run up the stairs after having been "hugged" by Seiya. ^__^

More notes at the end.

TODOKANU OMOI-MY FRIEND'S LOVE

Chapter Three

Yaten fled up the stairs, barely acknowledging Taiki as he shuffled past, not wanting to confront his tall friend. A blush stained his cheeks as he recalled what had taken place last night, something he regretted ever doing. He managed to escape into the bathroom, locking out the outside world so he could collect his thoughts. "What am I doing?" he breathed to his reflection, knowing it couldn't yield an answer. "I can't be in love, can I?"

Love. It was a concept alien to him; something that humans craved so much they dedicated a whole day to the notion. Seiya had fallen prey to Cupid's arrow, and look where it had led him. He was depressed, his usual cheerfulness undertoned with the agony he felt inside. Seiya tried to hide this, but he couldn't, to Yaten or Taiki, and especially not when he was around that bubble headed girl at school. Love had entangled him so much in its web that Seiya had needed to return to Earth, even if he could never have his feelings returned. Yaten had never comprehended why, before.

Of course, love could be applied to the feelings he had for Seiya and Taiki, no less strong than romantic love, but he had never ever wanted to kiss either of them.

Kiss.

"Damn!" Yaten thudded his forehead against the mirror, guilt shooting through his veins to congeal in his stomach. /Why did I do that?/ he berated himself, squeezing his eyes shut as though they would help dispel the images of last night from his mind. At the time it had felt appropriate, as though both had wanted this one intimate moment together.

No, he had to have been wrong. *He* had wanted it, not Ami; she was Taiki's girlfriend. The weight of the thought plummeted through his throat to stab at his heart before anchoring in an empty stomach, settling with the guilt he was harboring.

The fact that Taiki had started to date Ami wasn't all that surprising to anyone. They had more in common than anyone else he knew. It seemed that destiny had looped the red string around their fingers, entwining them in an undeniable fate [1]; the same as Usagi and Mamoru. In the beginning it had been almost sweetly sickening to watch them depart from the house, chattering about things Yaten didn't know or care about. He had been happy for them.

Because of the relationship, Ami frequented the house as much as they did, inevitably becoming a part of their family. At times Yaten saw her more than he did Taiki. Because she was Taiki's girlfriend, he had felt obligated to speak to her rather than ignore her as he would have done any other girl. The conversations became more recurrent, and through talking to her, Yaten was able to see her as not just another fan, but as a person. A person who had done what no one else had been able to do; pierce through the protective shield guarding his heart to snuggle safely within. Time and familiarity ran its course until he had fallen hopelessly in love with her.

And she was Taiki's.

Out of all the people in the entire world, he had to have lost his heart to *her*! Why her? It just wasn't fair.

"I'm just like Seiya, now," he murmured to his reflection, an ironic grin on his face. It was funny, really. Yaten, the only person in the world who defied love had been stabbed fiercely in the back with Cupid's dart. The one person who derided Seiya about his relationship with Usagi was now experiencing the exact same thing. It had to be a joke.

So why couldn't he laugh?

The eyes of the face in the mirror looked pitiful, hollowed with pain as tears gathered dangerously around the edges. "Look at you," he muttered. "You're despicable. Mooning over a girl that's your friend's love!" He covered the face with his hand, not wanting to see it any more. No matter how hard it hurt, he would just have to bear it. Ami was Taiki's, he had gotten to her first.

He had to live with it.

* * *

The entryways were crowded with students inserting outdoor shoes and retrieving indoor shoes from the lockers. Seiya and Yaten had walked the path to school solemnly, their conversations clipped as both tried to avoid the subject of anything having to do with the other Sailor Senshi.

Eventually, Seiya warmed up as he grew excited about his upcoming game with a rival school, his speech becoming more animated. Yaten endured patiently the same speech Seiya made every time he had a game. 

"I say Tomobiki will lose this time around," Seiya bragged, leaning arrogantly on the lockers, allowing the light to strike his best form. "Their team leader's a real whimp, but a good runner. They've got this weird cheerleader with green hair, though...[2] You're coming, right?"

Yaten nodded noncomitticaly as he opened his locker door. Letters covered in hearts burst out, envelopes fluttering down to his feet in an effort to escape the tight bulk still trapped within. "Don't they ever learn?" Yaten complained, irritatedly retrieving the fugitives before dragging the rest out.

Seiya laughed, eyes sparkling. "Looks like you're almost as popular as me. I get about the same amount."

"Here." Yaten dumped the load in Seiya's arms. "Now you have twice as many."

"Yaten," Seiya began to protest, then sighed resignedly as his snow-haired friend stalked away.

Yaten did not want to have to deal with those annoying letters today of all days, reminders of that painful four-letter word. And for some reason, he didn't want to be around Seiya today either. He was jerked out of his brooding by someone calling his name, turning around to see Jiro Yamada, the Anime Club President chasing him. "Anything wrong?" Yaten greeted him, glad for the distraction.

"We're *doomed!*" Jiro moaned, theatrically collapsing to his knees before Yaten, who raised an eyebrow in response. Jiro was known for his overreactions to things. "Our budget is *shot!* There's no more money left! How could this have happened?"

"What did you spend it on this time?" Yaten snapped.

Jiro blinked, snapping quickly out of his gloom into a bright mood. "Oh, yeah! We just bought the whole LD set of Martian Successor Nadesico [3]! No wonder!" Laughing, he stood. "Now I remember! I wanted to show them to you!"

Yaten gave Jiro a look. The president of the Anime club was known for such mood swings as well as absent-mindedness. In fact, given his emotional imbalance, it was a wonder he ever became a president. "Is that all?"

Gleefully, Jiro nodded, happy now that he realized where the money went off to. "Come on, we've got time for one episode before class starts. You should see the design for the ship."

The viewing ate away at the time until the hands on the clock reached eight twenty five. Yaten left a now content Jiro fawning over the second episode as he headed to class, now and then informing his club-mates of their president's present mood. Taiki was in his seat already, nose buried in a fat book about astronomy, most likely one that had to do with his upcoming project. Before he could look up, Yaten slumped into his seat, avoiding a confrontation. He didn't want to have to deal with Taiki again, ignoring him was the best thing, for now.

Classmates shuffled inside in steady streams of chattering groups until most of the seats had been filled by the time the teacher had meandered in. As usual, the seat next to Yaten was unoccupied. He glanced towards the clock as the second hand approached eight thirty. Five seconds. Four. Three. Two.

"We're here! We're here!" Two figures raced inside in a blonde flurry of energy, barely beating the clock. It never failed, except when they were late.

Minako bounded jovially to her desk, a cheery expression plastered on her sunny face as her companion, Usagi, worked on her coordination skills as she fumbled towards her desk. "Morning, Yaten!" Minako chirped, presenting him with a wide sparkling grin. "Hey, did you see that soap opera last night called 'Days Tranquil and Lives Apart?"

Yaten shot her a scathing glare, which refused to pop her overeager bubble. "No. I don't watch that trash."

"Oh, neither do I!" Minako quickly contradicted, face scrunched in a displeasing way. "Usagi was just talking about it while we ran to school, and she was saying that one of your old co-workers Yurika Misumaru [4] was one of the stars and she said that you two used to go out, and we were wondering..."

"I'd never go out with her," Yaten sneered, hoping the interruption would put an end to her prattle. "She's not my type."

Minako's smile grew wider, eyes glistening with newfound glee at Yaten's admission. "Really?" she squealed, the decibels on her high voice ranking off the charts. "Oh, I knew it! Could it be your type has long blonde hair with a great personality and..."

"Miss Aino!" The teacher sternly glowered at her, halting her speech. "Class has started. If you open your mouth again, you'll stand in the hall, understood?"

"Yes," she demurred, to Yaten's relief. That would keep her quiet for about five minutes, ten if he was lucky.

Time ticked away, punctured by Minako's babbling, until lunchtime finally rolled around. Before Minako could yank out a convenient extra lunch, Yaten abruptly stood and exited. He didn't want to deal with either her or any of his other classmates shoving their lunches in his face with the mistaken idea that he would actually accept one.

Right outside the classroom, Ami stood, clutching her lunch apprehensively to her chest. Yaten swallowed through a dry mouth, his stomach suddenly deciding to dislike him. Frowning, he reminded himself he wasn't supposed to even *think* that way about her. Focusing his eyes more on the wall behind her, he told her, "Taiki's still inside. You'd better hurry before he gets mobbed by the rest of the class."

"Oh," she breathed, clenching the bag at her chest even harder, eyes averted. Yaten heard the minute crack in her voice as she spoke, her eyes bright with... tears? He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong before clamping it closed. Whatever it was, it wasn't his business. He had to distance himself. Now.

"Well, see ya," he brusquely muttered, yanking himself away from her. He hurried along the corridor, trying to keep his mind focused on buying lunch, anything to stop thinking about her. Her voice still haunted him, following on his heels as he walked, something nagging at him that something wasn't right with her. He slapped it away. She was fine. After all, she had Taiki, right? What could go wrong?

* * *

"He what?" three disbelieving voices chorused as Ami finished her story. Shocked, none of them could speak.

"Are you okay, Ami?" Usagi scrutinized her friend's face, worriedly. She herself knew what shock Ami was going through; being suddenly told you aren't loved anymore. Especially when there was no reason for it.

"Of course!" Ami bravely grinned, too-bright eyes watery with tears she refused to shed. "I'm fine. It wouldn't have worked out anyway, we're both-" she paused as she felt something trickle down her cheek. Furiously she wiped it away, "-both busy anyway, and..." her voice trembled too much for her to continue, sobs clawing at her throat.

"Ami, if you're not okay, you can tell us," Makoto placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"How could he say those things?" Minako wondered. "You two were so perfect together! Like two bees in one rod."

"Two peas in a pod," Ami couldn't help correcting, voice wavering as she uttered the last word. Her throat clenched tighter as she fought the new onslaught of tears biting her eyes.

Usagi edged closer to her, attempting to surround her with a comforting aura of understanding. "Maybe he had a reason," she reassured Ami, trying to put conviction into her voice. "After all, when Mamo-chan broke up with me, there was a really good reason for it."

A reason? Ami thought back to last night, how she had entered the living room and found Yaten on the couch. Yaten! A blush stained her cheeks as she clapped her hands over her mouth, horrified at the implications. Could *that* have been the reason?

"What is it?" Minako asked, worry in her voice.

Deciding she couldn't hide it any longer, Ami told them what had been occurring in her heart the last two months. Her friends listened patiently, hanging on her every word.

When she had finished, Minako sighed remorsefully. "You're right, Ami," she agreed. "It's hard to decide between the two. One has brains, the other has personality, and they're both so *cute*!" Her eyes grew larger, shining as Usagi nodded enthusiastically in whole-hearted agreement beside her. "And both of them like you! I'm so jealous!"

She and Usagi mirrored each other's movements as they chorused, "I wish I was Ami!"

Despite herself, Ami started to laugh, putting the tears away for the time being. "What about Seiya?" she asked.

"Seiya!" Stars twinkled in Minako's eyes as her mouth gaped open dreamily. "He's one of the best-looking of the bunch! They're all so handsome! I'd never be able to choose between any of them."

"You wouldn't," Makoto laughed. "You'd date all three of them if you could."

Everyone laughed as Minako flushed, recalling her previous two-timing escapade [5]. As the laughter died down, Ami sobered. "But I can't do that. And it isn't certain Yaten likes me, so..."

"Ami, you have to decide who *you* want," Makoto told her. "You can't just keep dating Taiki if you don't love him. That isn't fair to either of you."

Ami nodded. "But, I don't know, now. I wish I did; everything would just be so much easier."

"Maybe this break-up's for the best," Minako said. "It'll give you some time to decide which one you love, and who knows? Your relationship with Taiki just might be the stronger for it!"

"Minako's right," Usagi gave Ami a grin. "You just use this time to think things through, and we'll all stand behind you. No matter what!"

Ami smiled, forgetting her torn heart for the moment as she basked in the love of her friends. "Thank you. All of you."

* * *

Though Jiro had invited him to the "special viewing" of the Anime Club's newest obsession, Yaten refused. He felt much more like being alone rather than surrounded by otaku jabbering about mecha, though they were usually amusing. He decided to eat outdoors alone, wallowing in his misery. He deserved to do at least that much.

A couple of girls were gossiping behind him as he headed for his usual spot, giggling about some boy he didn't know. He hoped they weren't following him.

"Did you know that Mizuno got dumped?" one said. Yaten perked up, heart stopping in his chest as his stomach clenched.

"She did?" the other seemed amazed. "I thought they were the perfect couple, too! How awful."

Awful?! It was horrible! Yaten, veered back towards the classroom, guilt gnawing at his heart. He found Seiya surrounded by eager lunch offerings, reveling in the attention, but no Taiki. "Where's Taiki?" he demanded, jostling his way through the ring. 

Seiya blinked in confusion. "He went to the Computer Lab for something, since the dumplings are having lunch toget- hey!" he called after Yaten who was already headed towards the door. "What's wrong?"

Yaten didn't have time to explain, racing through the halls towards the Lab. He found Taiki there alone, casually typing in some sort of report. "Did you dump Ami?" he demanded, storming over to the console, unable to squelch the hope rising in his heart together with the dread dropping to his stomach.

Taiki's fingers paused in their ministrations, pondering the best way to answer the question. Without removing his eyes from the screen, he finally answered, "You heard?"

"Of course I heard!" Yaten snapped, feeling both elated and downtrodden at the same time, conflicting emotions swirling through his body like a tornado. "It's probably all over the damn school by now."

"It is amazing how gossip spreads," Taiki murmured, returning to his typing.

"So, it's true."

Taiki nodded, a smile quirking at his lips at the relief in Yaten's voice. He had done the right thing after all. "It was just this morning too. I wonder how the information spread."

Yaten's heart stopped beating a second before pounding relentlessly against his chest. Anger started to take hold of him, trickling through his body, prodding his heart faster. "This morning?!"

"Yes." Taiki frowned in annoyance. Yaten should have been grateful; instead he detected hostility in his friend's voice. "I thought it would have been best to get it over with as quickly as possible, that way the timing would have been just right."

Timing? What the hell was Taiki talking about? Yaten frowned, eyes narrowing to green-gold slits. Taiki never made overnight decisions; he always thought about things for weeks before carrying out his plans. And something else was bothering Yaten. "Why did you do it? Is it because you just got tired of her all of the sudden?"

"No," Taiki said quietly. "That wasn't it. I just thought it would be easier this way." Taiki's voice was meant to be soothing; instead it fanned the waves of Yaten's anger as he noticed the stacks of books surrounding the console.

"Easier for who? You?"

Exasperated at the growing animosity, Taiki tried to escape. "Yaten, I really am quite busy right now and-"

"I don't believe this!" Yaten interrupted, pearly teeth bared. "A really big astronomy project flashes in your face so you cut off something just so you can have the chance to work on it alone? How selfish can you be?!"

Cold anger seeped into Taiki's violet eyes. Speechless, he clenched his teeth at the words, trying to form an argument in his mind. Finally, he managed to spit out, "You would not be asking such questions if you didn't want her."

Guilt congealed in Yaten's stomach, fear racing his heart. Shaking, Yaten spurred forth, words tumbling from his mouth before he could stop them. "You think that I'm such a terrible guy that I would try to steal your girlfriend? What, you don't trust me?"

"With the evidence being as it is..."

"To hell with your 'evidence'!" Yaten was furious, guilt and anger handing him their swords for battle, sharpening his words. "You thought I was going to try to take Ami away from you, didn't you? How can you even think of the possibility?! I'm your friend, I wouldn't do that to you!"

Realizing his mistake, Taiki faltered to correct himself. "I just noticed, and I thought..."

"I don't even *like* her!" Yaten spurred forth, "I just talked to her because she was *your* girlfriend. That's all!"

Taiki shook his head, trying to weigh the evidence he had gathered about them with his conclusions. "No, I felt sure that with the evidence and the facts, that you-"

"Quit analyzing me like some damned experiment! That's what I hate about you, Taiki, you're always trying to put logic to places it's not going to work." Yaten stormed out of the computer lab, yelling behind him, "I'm not like that, Taiki. And if you can't realize that, if you can't get that through your stupid scientific head, then I don't think we should even be friends any more." He slammed the door, fleeing to the rooftops, needing to escape.

The afternoon breeze felt cool on his heated skin, sending soft shivers down his spine. The pain of betrayal and desire flooded through him with guilt racing its course alongside as he closed his eyes, trying to comprehend. /How can he even believe I would do something like that? He let her go so I wouldn't take her away from him? He's my friend! Doesn't he trust me?/

/He saw what happened last night, you idiot./ he berated himself. /He's not stupid. But still, he should know I'm not like that! After all we've been through, he thinks I would try to hurt him like that!/

Sighing, he opened his eyes to the outside scenery, peering through the holes of the cold metallic gate. He spotted Ami with her friends eating outside. They weren't too hard to miss; a blue-haired girl with two blondes and the tallest girl in the school. They were probably comforting her, reassuring her that everything would be okay. He tried to swallow the lump lodged in his throat. He wasn't sure anything would be 'okay' anymore.

/It's my fault, Ami. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. Somehow./

*******

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

[1] The Japanese believe that a red string binds you and your future mate together. It's like destiny, which is why Yaten uses it as a reference.

[2] In case you didn't catch it, it's a reference to Urusei Yatsura from

Takahashi Rumiko.

[3] Jiro Yamada, a.k.a. Gaidouji Gai, is one of the characters from Martian Successor Nadesico. Though I don't think his personality is the same in my story, I decided to use his name anyway, since he is an otaku.

Now, I know that from information I found that Yaten isn't a member of the Anime Club, but there's no reason for him not to have a friend who is. After all, the Three Lights can have friends other than the Sailor Senshi and themselves, right? ^_^

[4] Yurika Misumaru is another character on the same show (Nadesico, not the drama).

[5] In Sailor Moon SuperS, Minako two-times both Hawks-eye and Tiger-eye, with the result in her friends saying she's the only one with enough energy for two boyfriends. I think she is. ^_^

And thanks to everyone who has been responding. I'm really glad you're enjoying the fic! ^__^ And you keep my writing spirits up!


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Todokanu Omoi-My Friend's Love

TODOKANU OMOI- MY FRIEND'S LOVE

Chapter Four

Seiya arrived home from school to an empty home again. He threw his bag on the couch and walked over to the kitchen. The past two weeks had been painfully horrible. Taiki had buried himself in his research on his astronomy project, spending all his hours either at school, in the library, or sleeping in his room. Yaten, meanwhile, hadn't even made an appearance at the house, or school for that matter, since the incident. So now the house was always silent. Even the clash of the keys flung on the table resounded through the still atmosphere.

Something black and fuzzy was in the kitchen when he entered. "You're that cat, Luna, right?" Seiya asked, noting the crescent moon tattooed in the black fur. "If you're looking for Yaten, he's not here. And I don't know when he'll be back, so don't ask." He opened the fridge, hoping the animal took the hint.

"I heard what happened," she said, pouncing from the sink to the table.

"You're a little late," Seiya snorted. "That was gossip two weeks ago."

"I know. I just wanted to find out how Yaten feels about A.... the incident."

Seiya gave her a backwards glance, then slammed the fridge closed. "Look, I don't even know what the hell's going on with him, okay? He's not here. Find him yourself."

"Are you okay?"

Seiya glowered, as if that ray of hatred would send the annoying fuzzball home. "I'm fine. You just go back to the dumpling and tell her that whatever Yaten and Taiki feel about the incident, it's their business, not theirs. We don't need any gossip going out to the press about this."

"I came because I was worried about Yaten, not because Usagi asked me too!" Luna huffed.

"You're talking to the wrong guy." Seiya could feel the cat boring holes into him as he reached for a glass, but ignored her. "You're just wasting your time here. Go home."

Cocking her feline head, Seiya had the unnerving impression that she could see into his soul. She blinked her large cat eyes, scrutinizing him. "Maybe I should be here after all. You look like you need..."

"I don't need anything!" Seiya hurled the glass towards her, deliberately missing by inches. "Get out! I don't *need* you! I don't need *ANYTHING*!!!!!!!!!!"

Startled, Luna backed away from the force of Seiya's anger. "S-Seiya..."

"*OUT*!!!!!!!!" He flung open the cupboard, arming himself with another glass. It followed Luna as she fled out the window, barely managing to miss being hit with shards of glass. Seiya crumpled on the table, pounding his fist on the top. "Just leave me alone," he moaned, thumping to emphasize every word. "I don't know what's going on, and I don't know what to do about it! Dammit! Why does this have to happen to me! Damn you, Yaten! Damn you, Taiki!"

After a few minutes, the grief ebbed, allowing Seiya to retain control of his senses again. How could they get him involved in something this big?! No, it wasn't their faults; whatever happened simply happened. Still, he felt like the rope in a tug-of-war, obligated to help both sides and unable to help either. On top of this, there was still Usagi. And Mamoru.

"I need to run," he muttered, fleeing out of the kitchen, mindless of the shards he left behind. Running wouldn't point him to any answers, but it'd keep him from smashing whatever kitchenware they still had left.

He was stopped by a trilling sound from the microwave. Breathing deeply, masking his emotions, he pushed the pulsating green button.

Princess Kakyuu emerged on the screen, decorated in her diplomatic outfit. "Ah, Fighter!" Kakyuu gave him her usual brilliant smile, pleased to see him. "I was hoping one of you would be in. You three seem to be awfully busy lately."

"Yeah, well, we get tied up in things," Seiya answered noncommittally, glancing towards the floor.

"What kinds of things?"

"You know, work, school, protecting the universe, those kinds of things."

The princess laughed. "I see. Is everything going well?"

/Oh, yeah, fine. My best friends aren't talking to each other, or me for that matter; Yaten's heartsick; Taiki's depressed; and my heart's been trampled on, torn to shreds, and blown to the wind./ "We're fine," he managed to say as a pang of guilt struck his heart. She was his *princess* after all; he didn't feel comfortable lying to her this way, as though he had something to hide. Maybe he did. "How are the negotiations coming?"

"Very well, I believe. We should be able to set up a joint alliance with Earth very shortly, although from the way Princess Serenity describes it, our presence may not be favorable right now."

"Yeah, well, Earthlings still think of aliens as green little men with weird antennae. I wouldn't worry, though. The Dump-er, Usagi can handle everything. She always manages to, one way or another."

"That is good to hear. I am glad you three volunteered for this job; it makes mine much easier knowing I can rely on you."

Seiya inwardly winced, wondering what the Princess would think of their little problems in the home. Or of the real reason he wanted to be on Earth. "We're glad to be of service any way possible."

"Well, I have another meeting, so I must be off. Take care of yourselves, and give Maker and Healer my regards."

"I will, your Highness." The microwave returned to its normal function, the face of Princess Kakyuu swallowed in a blank screen. He felt sick, as though he was betraying his princess by keeping such a secret. Nothing was fine here, but she had more to deal with than petty little love problems with Earthlings. Building a galactic empire was a hundred times more important than this; he should keep that in mind. And still... how did such primitive people manage to trap all three of them in a web of love with no escape?

The door opened, indicating someone was home. Seiya peered out into the living room to glimpse Taiki as he hurriedly took off his shoes and fled to his room, stacks of books in each hand. Seiya watched him go, like always, unsure of what to say or even what comfort he would be. Well, *none* in this state of mind.

Maybe he ought to tell Kakyuu to put someone else on this assignment; no one here seemed capable of it any longer. *If* he managed to find out how Yaten was faring.

/Yaten, where the hell are you?/

* * *

Yaten stared at the screen as a pink haired fighter blasted a circular looking space ship into smithereens, shouting curses in the process. He wasn't really paying attention, only Jiro was rapt with attention, oohing and ahhing over both the complex spaceship design and the size of the heroine's bust.

Yaten had been camping out at Jiro's home for two weeks, tactfully avoiding his own home. It was lucky that Jiro's parents didn't mind (both usually away on business trips), and he was able to get some distraction from his problems by delving deeper into the plethora of anime Jiro owned. Jiro had been kind enough not to show him any shoujo anime with really complex love triangles; it had just been a mecha mind-blowing two weeks.

As the ending song came up, Jiro swallowed the last of his tea, looking at Yaten thoughtfully. Finally, he said, "All right, out with it."

"Huh?" Yaten blinked at him.

"You've camped out here for two weeks, bud," Jiro explained, setting aside his cup. "Something's wrong, and you're not talking to your roomies, so you might as well talk to me."

"It's nothing," Yaten turned back to the TV.

"C'mon! I know you don't like this stuff as much as I do, but you're still here starin' at the screen!"

"Who says I don't like anime as much as you?"

"All right, then what was the exact name and type module of the labor Noa Izumi pilots? [1]"

Yaten refused to answer, glaring at the space scene and rolling credits.

"You see!" Jiro triumphantly smirked. "You don't know! No true otaku would ever forget the module, so talk!" When he was answered by silence again, Jiro tried another tactic. "C'mon, man! I'm your bud, right? You can talk to me about anything!" The song on the LD finished playing and a blue screen popped up. Jiro thought for a moment on how he could get his reticent friend to open up when he spotted just the thing. Picking up the LD, he grinned wickedly. "Yaten, if you don't talk, I'm gonna make you watch "Pretty Sammy"! The TV version!"

Inwardly Yaten groaned. He *hated* those cutesy magical girl shows with the awful costumes and the squeaky voices. Jiro was not playing fair. Still, he refused to crack, turning towards the TV. "Put it in."

"You asked for it!" Jiro sang, smirking. Very soon the screen was covered in gaudy bright pink and yellow and a child's voice was drolling out a sugarcoated melody as girls with saucer eyes bounced happily around the screen. Yaten withstood the song for three seconds until he cracked. "All right! I'll talk! Just turn it off!"

Jiro stopped the LD and leaned forward, preparing himself to listen. Yaten drew a deep breath, allowing the memories he had shoved aside to resurface. "First of all, Taiki is in love with..."

"Uh, is this going to take long?" Jiro asked, beginning to fidget. "I kind of have to go take a leak."

Glaring at him, Yaten snarled, "You know what, just forget it! Forget it!"

"No, no, I want to listen!" Jiro waved his hands placatingly, rising.

"It'll only take a sec, really! Um, here! Talk to Totoro while you wait![2]" He threw Yaten a gray fluffy animal before racing down the hallway.

"Idiot," Yaten muttered to the stuffed... thing in his lap. "I'm not talking to a stupid stuffed animal. Especially a cute one. Right?' he shook the thing in his lap, turning it about to get a better view of what exactly it was. "What are you anyway?"

"It's Totoro!" Jiro grinned, plopping back on the floor in record time. "See, I toldja it wouldn't take long! Now, c'mon! Out with it!"

Yaten explained everything that had taken part, occasionally fiddling with Totoro as he did. "So, that's the story," he ended, touching Totoro on his cute little nose. He glanced towards Jiro, who had been unusually quiet throughout the explanation, wondering if he had fallen asleep. Instead, Jiro had his hands crossed over his chest, face scrunched with concentration.

"Sounds like a KOR syndrome, [3]" Jiro finally uttered, meeting Yaten's eyes. "You poor dog."

Bristling at being called a dog, Yaten refused to ask what a KOR was.

"Yeah, I'm so pathetic, aren't I. Falling in love with my friend's girlfriend."

"Yes! You have done the most horrible travesty mankind can think of! Even Kyousuke's indecisiveness is nothing compared to what you have done."

"Gee, thanks Jiro."

"I am on the side of Justice! Justice cries when it hears my name! And, I am the man who loves love and justice, the Great Saiyaman! [4]" Jiro stood, preparing himself for his speech. "You, who love your friend's love, what have you to say in your behalf. How much do you love her? Is it a mere crush, or would you be her Yuu [5]?"

"What?!"

"How deep does you love flow? Is it the deepness of a shoujou manga [6]?"

"I.. suppose...."

"Then, you have not been in the wrong, my friend, but in the right! Taiki has become the Hotohori and you have become the Tamahome! [7]"

"What's a hotoho-"

"Now, then, like in the shoujo manga, you must be true to your feelings! Declare your love like Godai, though don't do it exactly like he did [8], and write her a song to be sung only by her angel! Yes, `To my Ami!' [9]"

"Jiro, you're not making sense-"

"Quiet! I am the great fixer of love, am I not? Japan's cupid all wrapped up in jeans and the necessary means! If you don't proclaim your feelings for her, you will wind up like Issei [10]! A bitter old man with no love while Taiki goes waltzing off with your princess, stealing away your only reason to live!" Tears were starting to flow from Jiro's eyes as he barged ahead, clutching a handkerchief for emphasis. "Oh, I can see it now! The tragedy of rejection! Like Minmei, no more will you have that warm person to snuggle with at night [11]. You will just be a lost, embittered person... Yaten, do you see what I'm saying?"

The question seemed to require no answer as Jiro grabbed him by the shirt, taken away by the passion of his speech. "Don't be as reluctant as Mr. Fujisawa [12]! You must follow your heart! It will work out! And then, like Gekiganger [13], you will triumph!" He dropped Yaten in favor of a sentai pose.

Jiro held his dramatic pose for a few minutes as Yaten blinked at him, trying to figure out what the garbled mess that came out of Jiro's mouth actually meant, if anything. After the allotted time for Yaten to get over the magnificence of his speech ran out, Jiro glanced back at his friend. "You really had no clue as to what I said?"

"Something like that," Yaten smoothed out his now wrinkled shirt. "Did you actually learn *how* to speak Japanese when you were little?"

"Geez, you don't have to be so harsh," Jiro faltered, the triumphant glow surrounding him dispersing quickly with Yaten's knife-edged words. "I was only trying to help."

"What, by babbling on about your stupid anime? Give it a rest Jiro! That stuff's for Elementary school kids; you're acting like a child. You need to grow up"

Hurt, Jiro collapsed back on the floor, then, he snapped his face up to Yaten. "Taking it out on me isn't gonna help, you know."

"Who said I was taking *anything* out on you!" Yaten stubbornly folded his arms across his chest. He needed to lash out at someone, if only to ease some of the hurt Jiro had deliberately caused him to remember. "I was telling the truth."

"Then why did you watch it?" Jiro didn't wait for an answer, simply barreled on ahead, "Yaten, I'm your bud, remember? Besides, that actor's mask can't fool me; I'm a *pro*!" Grinning infectiously, he jerked Yaten into a sitting position, clapping a hand to his shoulder. "Lash out at me all you want, but it really isn't gonna make you feel better."

"Oh? Really? You know me *that* well? Then what *is* going to make me feel better?"

"You need to go and tell Ami how you feel."

Yaten's heart skipped a beat, all caustic retorts fleeing from his brain. Hadn't Jiro even been listening? "Yeah, right. You can can the act now, Jiro."

"I'm serious! If you don't, you'll be miserable for the rest of your life."

"Taiki-"

"Has nothing to do with this. He gave up, for whatever reason. Look, pal, *you* didn't specifically do anything wrong so quit gnawing it over in that rock-head skull of yours! She's a free person! So hurry up before your chance is over, and tell her how you feel!"

Yaten swallowed through a dry mouth, refusing to even look in Jiro's eyes. How could he just waltz up to his best friend's girl after two weeks and ask her out? He wanted to spit at Jiro to leave him alone, that he didn't understand *anything*! How could a person who spent half his life glued to the TV watching cartoons know about love or friendship or anything aside from how to operate the remote control?

Squaring his jaw to tell Jiro off, he snapped back to attention when Jiro's genuine smile caught him off guard. Sighing, Yaten resigned himself to fate; Jiro wasn't going to let this one go, no matter how hard Yaten struggled against it. "You sure about this?"

"Of course! It works in anime!"

"Jiro, you need a reality check. This is real life; things don't work out the way they do in anime."

"They can if you *try*. So, are you gonna fold or you gonna go after your dreams?"

At Yaten's silent thoughtfulness, Jiro swept through his mountain of LDs and videos until he pulled out an appropriate mecha show. "Here, you watch this! It'll give you the courage to fight!" He popped it into the machine.

As the theme music started (some heavy-metal ditty about finding justice) Yaten shook his head. He had already decided what he was going to do: Jiro was right, he had to talk to Ami. But, only to bring her and Taiki back together. Though his heart constricted at the thought, he *had* to fix things. After all, he was the one to mess it all up.

* * *

Ami slowly locked the door to her house, in no hurry to get to school this day, or any day for that matter. True most of the more savage gossip had died down, but there were still ashes left for people to fan back into a large matter. Stories had spread all over school as how she was the one person to break them up, dropping her popularity to zero. Not that she minded being unpopular; it went hand in hand with being a genius, but everywhere she went in school she felt stares of hatred piercing her back. If it hadn't been for her friends, she wasn't sure she would have been able to handle it.

Now that the worst was over, she was certain nothing else bad could happen. "That's right," she told herself, bathing in the morning sun's rays. "Today will be a good day." Placing a smile on her face, she prepared to face the day as Usagi would; bravely and with energy.

"Ami."

She turned towards Yaten, who was waiting expectantly at the gate to her home, her dream of a perfect day shattered.

******************************************************

Here are some explanations for Jiro's speech to Yaten, for those who couldn't catch all the anime references littered in it:

[1]- Mobile Police Patlabor; She pilots a AV98 Ingram.

[2]- Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro); A fuzzy cute animal. I haven't watched this one, but I've seen the merchandise everywhere.

[3]- KOR is Kimagure Orange Road; an anime concerning the relationship between 3 people, a young man named Kyosuke who is in love with a girl named Madoka, yet dating her best friend Hikaru.

[4]- Dragonball Z; Gohan's alter ego. He says this little speech in many different ways.

[5]- Marmalade Boy; Yuu could be called the "perfect man." (in Jiro's humble opinion)

[6] - Shoujou manga, just in case you don't know it, is technically manga (comics) for girls and women. Sailor Moon is one of them. ^_^

[7]- Fushigi Yuugi (Mysterious Play); Hotohori and Tamahome are in love with the same girl, Miaka.

[8]- Maison Ikkoku; Godai "declares" his love for Kyoko standing on a trash can and bellowing it to the neighborhood (he was drunk).

[9]- Earthian; Cliff (an angel) writes a tune for his girlfriend, titled "To my Blair".

[10]- Please Save My Earth; Issei has a one-sided love with Jinpachi.

[11]- Macross (Robotech); One of the more famous characters who doesn't end up with the man she loves.

[12]- El Hazard; Mr. Fujisawa is a typical relationship-shy man.

[13]- Nadesico; Gekiganger is a robot from an imaginary show called "Gekiganger III" which the entire cast of Nadesico loves. Needless to say, Jiro Yamada is the most obsessed with it.


	5. Chapter 5

Todokanu Omoi- My Friend's Love Chapter 5

TODOKANU OMOI- My Friend's Love

Chapter 5

/What am I doing here?/ Yaten thought, leaning on the wall surrounding Ami's home. The question wasn't whether or not he should be here; he knew he had to be here to set things right. There was only one problem: What was right?

He wanted to believe that he was here to help Ami and Taiki fix their relationship. If he talked to Ami, perhaps they could do something to beat some sense into Taiki. That would be "right".

It was also a lie. If he wanted to fix Ami and Taiki's relationship, he would have gone to Taiki. Taiki, after all, was his friend; Ami was a fellow Sailor Scout. With whom he just happened to be in love with.

Maybe Jiro was right. Taiki dumped Ami, the reasons didn't matter any more. It was his chance to see if a relationship would work now, to see if Ami felt about him the way he did about her. Whatever happened, Taiki should be out of the picture now. But was it right to ask Ami out on a date? Especially since it had only been two weeks since the breakup. 

It would be so much easier if he could think like Jiro, to have a goal and to go for it no matter what.

/Oh, no. Now I'm wishing I thought like Jiro. I really need help./

Yaten allowed himself to smile a moment at the thought before returning to his brooding. Whatever the reasons were, he knew he had to talk to Ami today. Maybe when he saw her, he'd figure out what was right.

A few minutes later, Ami emerged from her house. /This is it. The moment of truth./ Yaten took a deep breath. "Ami." 

He must have startled her. She blinked, poised as if she were ready to run back inside, then changed her mind and headed towards him. "Good morning," she half-smiled.

"Morning," he answered. Then, "Do you mind if I...?"

She shook her head. "Not at all."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, both lost in their own thoughts. Yaten had thought of a speech, and had spent a sleepless night perfecting it. However, now that the time had come to tell her, he couldn't speak. /Ami belongs with Taiki,/ he told himself. /It's fate. It's no good fighting against fate. She'll be much happier that way. I mucked all of this up, I have to fix it./ Drawing up his courage, he began, "Ami, I..."

"I know why you're here."

Yaten was momentarily dumbfounded. "What?" he managed to ask.

"I'm okay." She gave him a smile. It was a bit shaky, but genuine. "I appreciate you being concerned for me, but I'm all right now."

"I-" 

"Breaking up with Taiki was probably for the best," Ami continued, looking towards the sky. "It made me reevaluate what had been our relationship. I wasn't really very happy in it, and I don't think he was either. I think we tried to make it work because everyone was expecting it. Even I was expecting it. 

"You know," she continued, "the first time I saw him, I thought he was handsome. But not only because of his appearance. I was attracted to his intellect. Finally! Someone who would be able to understand me! Someone who felt studying was fun, not something you did to pass entrance exams." She smiled wistfully. "Someone who I could hold a conversation with without having to explain what I'm talking about all the time. That was why I fell in love with him." She paused, then asked, "Do you think that's a shallow reason?"

"Why are you asking me?" Yaten answered, glumly. 

Ami blushed. "I don't know. I don't even know why I just told you all of that."

"Don't tell me, you've never told anyone else before." 

"Don't be silly! Of course I've told my friends. I... just don't understand why I told you." She looked back down at her hands. "Anyway, it isn't really important, is it? Who you love is who you love, regardless of the reasons."

"If you say so." Yaten winced inwardly. /She still loves him,/ he thought. It was supposed to make him happy; after all, wasn't getting them back together the reason he was here? It didn't make him happy. It hurt. And he dealt with that hurt the only way he knew how. "It sounded like a stupid reason to me."

"I suppose so," Ami looked towards the ground, then straightened up. "Even if it was a stupid reason, it was my reason. What about you? Haven't you ever dated anyone for a stupid reason?"

Hesitating, Yaten finally confessed, "I've never dated anyone at all." 

"Why not? Too good for everyone?" Her voice was teasing.

/No, I've never really wanted anyone before. Except you./ He shrugged. "They've all been the same. Selfish, unthinking, twits who only want to date me to become popular. I don't call anyone like *that* dateable material."

"I will take that as a 'yes'."

"Good." Yaten shot her a smirk. "Because it was."

Ami laughed. "It's good to see you in good spirits again."

"'Good spirits? Have I been looking that bad?"

"Yes. Luna even went to your house to find out if you were all right."

"Luna, huh?" Yaten allowed a smile to grow on his face as he remembered the feisty black cat that enjoyed his attention. "How is she doing?"

"Just fine. Although I think she goes to see you partly to keep Artemis jealous."

"That sounds like Luna," Yaten laughed. "I guess I have worried her a bit."

There was a slight pause, then Ami said quietly, "She wasn't the only one who was worried."

Yaten's world seemed to freeze in motion. He glanced at Ami, trying to find out what she meant by that remark. /Does she really-? You idiot, that could have meant anyone. That jabbering blondie, curious to see if she can mend my broken heart to fit one of her romantic scenarios. No thank you./ "I've been fine," he said, coldly. "I'm old enough to take care of myself. There's no need to worry."

"Of course." Ami's smile vanished, and she bent her head to study the pavement they were walking on.

They remained silent until the familiar squat building of their school came into view. "I'd better go. See you later." Ami hurried towards the front gate, leaving Yaten behind.

Yaten groaned inwardly as he watched her go. That went horribly. And worse off, he hadn't accomplished anything.

***

"You're an idiot!"

Yaten glared at Jiro, munching determinedly on his lunch. He'd been calling himself that all morning; however, it was different coming from Jiro. He was beginning to regret having lunch with him. 

"After everything, you're still wallowing in self-pity!" Jiro threw up his hands theatrically. "What is *wrong* with you?!"

"What?" Yaten said. "All I did was..."

"Nothing! She was concerned about you, you ... aargh!" Apparently Jiro had no experience with name-calling. "And what did you do? Fling it in her face! You're an... idiot!"

"Is that the only insult you can come up with?" Yaten retorted. "Maybe you ought to get a dictionary to help you with your vocabulary."

"I've got you for a friend, that's dictionary enough." 

Yaten nearly smiled. That was the best insult he had ever heard Jiro say. "Jiro, what else could I have done? She's still in love with Taiki."

"You don't know that! You're just second-guessing. You could be wrong."

"And I could be right. Did that ever occur to your ameba-sized brain?"

Jiro opened his mouth to retort, then shut it as his eyes lit up with an idea. A mischievous smile grew on his face. /Uh oh,/ Yaten thought.

"You're a coward."

*That* was a sore spot. "I am not!" 

"Really? Then go ask her on a date. I dare you."

"That is *so* juvenile, Jiro."

"Well, you're being juvenile." Jiro rapped on the top of Yaten's head. "We both know you want to ask her out. I'll do it for you if you want!"

"I don't need you to be my 'messenger of love'." Yaten sighed. "Look, Jiro, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but..."

"I want some yakisoba bread. Do you want some?"

Yaten glared at him through half-lidded eyes. It was near impossible to hold a lengthy conversation with him. He wondered how the thought process worked inside Jiro's brain. "No."

"Okay. I'll just be right back then. Sit tight." Jiro grabbed his wallet and hurried out into the hall.

"I wonder if there's any yakisoba bread left?" Jiro mused to himself, closing the sliding doors behind him. It was nearly one o'clock, but the yakisoba bread was not one of the more popular things the school bakery sold. There was still a chance there was some left. And like Gekiganger, he had to seize the opportunity when it presented itself.

He posed, ready to make a speedy dash to the bakery. His wallet was out, the halls were empty save Mizuno walking towards the stairs, and there was no obstacle to hi- Mizuno. Jiro paused, straightening out of his pose. /What a coincidence. We were just talking about her. I wonder where she's going./ She looked rather sad, but of course she would. Yaten was being an idiot and not asking her out like he was supposed to. An idea slammed into his mind. But would it work? And would he have time to reach the bakery before it closed? He checked his watch, then sighed. Being a Cupid meant making many sacrifices. Quickly, he resumed his heroic dashing pose, and sprinted towards her.

Ami was lost in thought, replaying the conversation she had with Yaten over and over again in her mind. She still couldn't tell whether she was in love with him, but she couldn't deny that just being close to him made her heart pound in her chest. Talking with her friends did no good either; it only made her more confused about how she felt. Minako had suggested going out with Yaten to see if she liked him more, but now that was impossible. /I wish I knew what to do./

"MIZUNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Ami blinked, reflexively taking a step back as a black blur whizzed past her to slam into a wall. It groaned dramatically before peeling itself from the wall, materializing into a person. "Yamada?" she asked, stepping towards him to see if he was all right.

Seeing her he immediately collapsed to his knees. "My savior!" he cried.

Ami was well aware of Yamada's theatrical bent; nearly the entire school was. "How can I help you?"

"I have a friend..." Abruptly, he frowned as if deep in thought.

"You have a friend," Ami prompted.

"He needs to talk to you right away."

"About what?" Ami grew nervous, hoping it wasn't an admirer wanting to ask her out. Her love life was troubled as it was.

"About what?" Jiro paused as if in thought, then, "We found this website on Nadesico, but it's in English. He can't read it." Jiro buried his head in his hands as if feeling his friend's pain. "Oh, the torture he's going through, knowing that there is information in abundance, but being unable to read."

Ami smiled in relief. "I'd be happy to translate it for him."

Jiro grinned so wide Ami was afraid his lips would split in two. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! He'll be so happy you accepted!" He headed back down the hallway.

"Isn't the computer room this way?" Ami pointed towards the stairs.

"Uh... yeah... but.... we printed it out for you. Y'know, to make it easier to translate and stuff." He made motions with his hand for her to hurry, glancing at his watch at the same time.

Shaking her head in amusement, Ami followed him to the film room. "Just what is Nadesico exactly?" 

"The greatest anime ever created!" Jiro enthused. "Big robots, beautiful women, and Justice!" He paused to strike a pose, then slid open the doors to the film room. "After you."

Ami entered and immediately the door slammed shut behind her.

"Jiro, can't you close that thing more quietly?" Yaten turned to glare at his wayward friend and froze solid. Instead of Jiro, Ami was standing in the computer room, looking both confused and lost. "Ami?" He asked, mouth becoming dry. "What are you doing here?

Glancing back towards the door in confusion, she answered, "Yamada said there was someone who wanted to talk to me..."

Yaten nearly groaned. This all screamed "set up!" at him. "Jiro's weird. And he has an even weirder sense of humor."

"I... see."

There was no getting out of this. None at all. "This... this isn't what it looks like..."

"Oh." Her face was unreadable.

"It's not what you-" Yaten threw his hands up. He was going to kill Jiro for this. Very very slowly. "All right, it is sort of what you think. Jiro- I- "

"It's all right." Ami reached for the door behind her. "I'll just go and we can pretend nothing happened."

"No we can't." Yaten had put this off for long enough. It was time to own up. He motioned toward a chair. "Sit down. We've got a lot to talk about."

Hesitating for a moment, Ami walked over and sat down in the offered chair. Taking a deep breath of courage, Yaten dropped back into his own, suddenly unsure of where to begin. "Jiro told you?" She nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry it had to come out like that. I should have told you myself."

"It's all right. I understand why you didn't."

"And you're okay with it?"

"Of course! This isn't the first time something like this has happened." 

Yaten was getting the feeling that there was something not right about the way this conversation was going. Ami was way too casual about this. "What about Taiki?" 

She gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Aha! "What exactly did Jiro tell you?"

"That you wanted me to translate something about some anime. Why? What else could it be?"

Yaten nearly groaned. So Jiro hadn't blabbed that Yaten was in love with her! And he was very close to blabbing it himself. Luckily, he had the presence of mind to realize it in time. He was about to say "nothing" when he glanced up and saw Jiro gesturing wildly at him through the window. Even if he put it off today, Jiro was stubborn and stupid enough to try something like this later. Not only that, but it was time to stop avoiding the problem. He had to start doing the right thing. "Actually..." he paused, drawing up courage. "I was wondering if you were free on Saturday."

"For translating?"

"For a date."

The world seemed to freeze in motion as Ami's eyes widened, comprehending. "Yaten, I..."

"You can say no," he quickly amended. "I know it's tasteless of me to ask, especially since you just broke up with T-"

"Yes," she interrupted him, quietly.

Yaten blinked. This was unexpected. "You are?"

Ami nodded, a slight blush on her cheeks.

His brain whirled about, thinking of something to do. No, no, think of a time first, then think of something to do. "Okay. I'll pick you up at 5 then?"

"Okay." She smiled, something that turned him into jelly. Outside they heard a whoop of joy. "Yamada?" Ami guessed as Yaten embarrassedly covered his face with his hand.

"I told you... Jiro's weird." Yaten glared at the closed sliding doors.

"Then I'd better leave you two to talk," Ami rose and walked to the door. She glanced over her shoulder before opening the door, asking, "Five o'clock?"

Yaten nodded, his eyes following her out. She left the door open, but Jiro did not make an appearance. "Jiro," Yaten called, drawing his features into a glare.

After a moment, Jiro peeked into the room, wisely staying in the safety of the hall. "Yeah?"

"You set me up, didn't you?" Yaten crossed the room to come face-to-face with him.

Jiro gave him an embarrassed grin. "Maybe. But it worked didn't it? Just like when Godai and Kyoko got together."

"I want you to promise to never, ever do that to me again."

"But...!"

"Promise!"

"Okay," Jiro sulked. "I gave up yakisoba bread for you you know."

Yaten relented. As angry as he was, he had to admit that Jiro had only tried to help. "I know. I appreciate what you did, but-"

Jiro beamed, cutting him off. "Always here to help!" He clapped Yaten on the shoulder in a gesture of manly goodwill, then struck a pose that reminded Yaten of the ending to a film. "This makes for a great end, doesn't it?"

/Not yet,/ Yaten thought. /There's still one more thing I have to do./

***

Taiki stared at his report, not really concentrating on it, but this pose made sure he was undisturbed. The last couple of weeks had been a living nightmare as the entire female populous had decided he needed "comforting" because of his breakup with Ami. He had tried telling them that he was at fault and wanted to be left alone, but, as usual, no one would listen. What was it with the females on this planet that made them so pushy?

Things had not worked out the way he had planned them. Yaten had disappeared for days, and Ami was clearly upset. "The best laid plans of mice and men can go awry," he murmured. The earthly quote was little comfort. He wanted to do something, but when he had tried to help, it had failed miserably. So he did nothing.

He heard the door slide open and elicited a small groan. "I am busy. Please do not disturb me."

"It's me, Taiki."

Yaten. Taiki glanced towards the door. "I haven't seen you lately. We were worried about you."

"I'm fine," came the reply. 

"Then please tell that to Seiya. He has been making the house a mess since your disappearance." Taiki tried to lighten the comment with a smile.

"He is such a kid!" Yaten leaned against the door exasperatedly. "What has he broken this time?"

"The usual. Plates, glasses, vases..."

"Not the Ming in the hallway?"

"That remains unscathed." Taiki felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Yaten seemed to be back to his normal self. "You seem well again."

Leaving the comment unanswered, Yaten came over to sit beside him. Looking directly into his eyes, he said, "I'm going out with Ami."

Apparently inaction was the best idea after all. "Oh really?" Taiki tried to ask nonchalantly, but was bothered by the sudden dread in his stomach.

"If you don't want me to, just say the words and I won't."

Taiki was caught in hesitation. /Everything is going the way I planned. Yaten and Ami have a chance to be together. It is as it should be./ The news should have come as a delight, instead it was a dread. Yaten was staring at him expectantly, a mixture of hope and fear on his face. /If I told him "no," he would respect that and be true to his word./ The temptation was there. One little word would decide their fate. /I can do it. I can say "no"./

/But that would be unfair./

"There is this cafe in Shibuya," he said, forcing a smile on his face. "Every Saturday it features some poetry readings. Ami always enjoyed it."

The look on Yaten's face was worth it all. Never before had Taiki seen Yaten so happy. The smile was contagious. "Then, you're okay with this?"

"It is what should have happened a long time ago, if someone hadn't been so stubborn." He tapped Yaten's forehead fondly. "You remind me of Seiya."

Yaten groaned. "Don't say that. I was in such a good mood."

Taiki laughed. "Then I take it back. You and Seiya are nothing alike."

"Thanks." Yaten squeezed Taiki's shoulder as he rose. "I'm sorry about all those things I accused you of. I've never had a better friend." He glanced at the computer screen. "I'd better let you get back to work.

Taiki watched Yaten leave, a mixture of happiness and dread in his chest. /It's all for the best,/ he reminded himself. Before the doubts began to creep in, he returned to his computer and began to type furiously.

*******

Author's Notes:

A big "Thank you" to everyone who's replied to this fic so far. ^___^ This isn't the end... yet.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

TODOKANU OMOI- MY FRIEND'S LOVE

Chapter 6

Seiya was in a black mood. He seemed to be spending a lot of his time brooding recently. Yaten had gone missing for two weeks, Taiki refused to talk to him, and they were running out of breakable kitchenware in the house. He had tried jogging, midnight basketball, any type of exercise to get his mind off of his problems. It worked, for the short time that he was exercising. Afterwards, they'd haunt him all over again. His grades were suffering if his health wasn't, and it was a miracle his career wasn't suffering as well. By sheer good luck, Yaten had only been scheduled for one appearance this last two weeks, and that had been easily taken care of. Unfortunately, they had a spot on a variety show this week, and performing without Yaten would be impossible. They couldn't afford to be out of the spotlight for a long time, not if the great Plan was to take place.

He had often wondered why Taiki and Yaten had never contested his claim as their leader. Now he understood why.

/At least my mood isn't losing any of our fans, / he thought in an effort to cheer himself up. /Earthlings seem to be attracted to dark, brooding men who don't want to talk. I've never gotten so many love letters before. I should probably keep this image... it keeps the fans./ Glumly he lowered his chin onto his desk. /Except the emotional strain will kill me./

He looked towards Taiki, who was busy preparing for today's test. /He's lucky. He could study if meteors were bombarding the school. I wish I could do that./ He glanced towards Yaten's empty desk. /Where in hell are you, Yaten? You could at least call... or answer your cel phone./

In answer to Seiya's question, Yaten walked into the classroom, pointedly ignoring the swarm of schoolgirls asking if he was all right. "Leave me alone," he told them, nearly slamming the classroom door shut in their faces before slumping into his desk. 

"Speak of the devil," Seiya muttered, glaring Yaten's way. Yaten casually sat down in his seat, took out a book, and began studying. /I can't believe this! He leaves for two weeks without even a word, and just sits down as if nothing has happened? He's got a lot to answer for!/ Brows together in fury, Seiya stormed over to Yaten's seat, determined to give him a piece of his mind. Just as he was near enough to yell, the bell chimed, and Mr. Kobayashi rushed in with an armful of papers. "Mr. Kou, please return to your seat," he said, looking pointedly at Seiya. "We are about to take a test."

Smoldering, Seiya reluctantly stalked back to his seat. /Next period, then,/ he fumed, glaring at Yaten who didn't even turn around. 

Time and school proved to be against him, however. No matter how many times he tried to approach Yaten, something always prevented him: an errant girl with a love letter, Mrs. Akutsu's academic warning speech, the football captain telling him about practice today; it was always something. When lunchtime came around, Seiya was determined to speak to Yaten if it killed him. 

He saw Yaten pull out a lunchbox from his desk and hurry out into the hallway. Seiya was about to give chase when a pair of blond dumplings stood in his way. He groaned inwardly. /Not now, Dumpling!/ "Yeah?" he snapped, irritatedly.

"You don't have to snap," Usagi pouted, "I just came over to talk to you!"

Seiya sighed. He was just going to have to catch up with Yaten later. "Sorry. I've been a bit on edge lately."

"I know." Her angry pout dissipated into concern. "I've been worried about you."

/Oh, great. Now she's going to give me sympathy./ "I'm fine, Dumpling," he snapped, snatching up his lunch and stalking off. "I don't need your sympathy."

"I'm just worried about you!" Usagi shouted after him. 

"Yeah, you and over half the school," Seiya muttered. "I don't need that kind of sympathy. Not from you."

He managed to find a nice quiet spot to eat his lunch at, although now he really wasn't hungry. He had felt bad blowing Usagi off like that, but sympathy wasn't going to make him feel any better. Not when she was the problem. And he couldn't tell her. "Well, this is turning out to be a great day," he muttered sarcastically, hurling a rock at a nearby tree.

"What did that tree ever do to you?" a voice asked him.

Seiya nearly groaned. It was Usagi's friend, Minako. Two blonde encounters in one day; he was turning out to be really lucky. "Go away," he snapped.

"I saw how you treated Usagi," Minako plopped herself down beside him without invitation.

"So what? It's my perrogative to talk or not talk to her if I want to."

"Oh, really?" Minako snapped. "So it's your perrogative to act like a jerk too?"

Seiya glared at her. "What do you want?"

Her face changed from anger to sympathy. "I wanted to let you know that I know how you feel."

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Will you stop the tough guy act! Everyone knows you're in love with Usagi."

"Thanks for the info. Think I should put that on the web page?"

"Seiya, I'm only trying to help."

"Well you're not, so leave me alone." 

Crossing her arms stubbornly, Minako continued. "As I was saying, I know how you feel. I've been through the same thing."

"Really?" Seiya disinterestedly tossed another rock at a tree.

"What, you don't believe me?"

"Actually... no, I don't."

"It's true. I lived in England for a year in Junior High, fighting crime as Sailor V. This was before I met Usagi and the rest. In England, there was this dreamy boy..." her eyes clouded over, and a wistful smile crossed her face. "He was nice, kind, handsome; everything a Prince Charming should be."

"So Prince Charming refused to acknowledge you existed, right?" Seiya snorted. 

Her wistful mood dampened slightly. "Not exactly. He fell in love with my sister."

Seiya instantly regretted his previous sentence. /You really are acting like a jerk,/ he thought bitterly. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay." She gave him a smile. "It was a long time ago. I'm fine with it now."

He looked at her, thoughtfully. If she could do it.... "What did you do about it?"

She grinned sheepishly. "I left England."

"You ran away?" His eyelids lowered halfway. And here he had thought she had something important to tell him.

"I know, I know, it was a stupid thing to do. Childish, etc. But I was only thirteen at the time." She gave him a look. "What I'm trying to say is that this happens all the time. It hurts, I know it hurts, but you'll learn to get over it. What you can't do is let it rule your life."

"I'm not."

"Of course you're not. You're just brooding and acting rude towards everybody because you want a new image, right?"

Seiya only glared at her.

"Look, Seiya, you're a lot braver than I was, coming back to be with Usagi. But you have to move on. Date a few other people, go dancing, do things you want to do. Eventually, you'll find that Usagi's a dear memory, and you've gotten someone special."

Seiya ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Move on, you say. That's easier said than done. You *left* your problems behind you."

"Yes, I did. But I hurt the ones I loved the most, possibly more than they had ever hurt me. It was a stupid thing to do, and I regret it. But I don't regret falling in love with him. Or ever being their friend."

He glanced towards her. It was funny; she was a real ditz, always late for class and chattering about the most inane things. Who would have thought she had been through so much? He suddenly had a new admiration for her. Maybe she was right. It was time to put Usagi aside, and move on. "It's a lot easier said than done," he said, leaning back and looking at the sky. "Moving on."

"I never said it was easy," she smiled at him. "Only that it could be done. Are you ready...?"

"I guess. I've never backed down from a challenge before," he grinned at her. "There's no reason for me to stop now."

She grinned back. "I'll even help if you want! Minako's Broken Heart service, at your service! I'm the warrior of love, and for love!"

Seiya chuckled, amazed that she could go from serious to silly in the time it took to blink. She was like Usagi in many ways. No wonder they were friends. Still, there was one thing he really needed to know. "So, Minako," he grinned wickedly, "if you stayed in England for a year, how come you're failing English class?"

She groaned dramatically. "Don't remind me! Do we have a test today?"

"Yep."

"Oh, no! I didn't even study! What am I going to do?!"

Seiya laughed, suddenly in a better mood. It would take time, and it wouldn't be easy, but he would get over Usagi. He would make sure of it.

****

"I'm home!" Seiya called out, dumping his football stuff in the hallway. It needed a good cleaning, and there was no way he was bringing something that muddy inside the house.

"Welcome back," came the answer from the kitchen.

/Yaten?!/ Seiya kicked off his shoes and ran to the kitchen to find Yaten carefully cleaning up the shards of broken dishes Seiya had left from yesterday's temper tantrum. "You're back."

In reply, Yaten held up the dustpan full of broken wares. "You've been busy."

Without thinking, Seiya punched him in the jaw. Slivers of cutlery spilled across the floor. "Where the hell have you been?" he exploded. "I was worried sick about you! You could have at least called to say where you were! How was I to know what happened to you? What if you were hurt or something, or if our Princess needed to talk to you? What was I going to tell her!"

Yaten rubbed his cheek. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it!"

"I couldn't stay here, Seiya. I had to work something out on my own. I know it was irresponsible for me not to call you. And I'm sorry. That's all I can say."

Seiya took a deep breath, anger ebbing. He had told Yaten off, that was enough. "All right, all right, apology accepted. But next time..!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll phone home." Yaten gave him a grin. "Mom."

"You better believe it," Seiya punched him again, this time playfully. "So, where were you anyway?" 

"At Jiro's."

"Yamada? "

"Yeah. He forced me to watch anime." Yaten dumped the shards of dishes into the trashcan. "For two weeks."

Seiya chuckled. "Poor Yaten. Cooped up with an otaku and no escape. Must have been torture."

"You're laughing now. You didn't have to watch Pretty Sammy the TV version!"

Seiya laughed even harder. It seemed that Yaten had gotten his just rewards after all. "Maybe I ought to buy a copy of that."

"If you do, I'm never coming home again."

"Now *that's* a tempting idea... think Yamada will know where to buy these things?"

Yaten snapped him a glare. "If you even think about asking Jiro about anime, I'll put these in your bed." He shook the dustpan emphatically.

Before Seiya had a chance to respond, Taiki's voice came through the hallway. "I'm home!"

"In here!" Seiya shouted, then remembered that Yaten and Taiki were having problems with each other. /Oh shit... now what?/

Taiki stepped in the kitchen, gingerly avoiding the shards that were sprinkled everywhere. "Yaten, I see you're home early."

"I had to. *Someone* had to clean up his mess," Yaten pointed at Seiya accusingly with the dustpan. 

"Good," Taiki poured himself a glass of cold tea. "Please try to be thorough. I'd hate to get glass in my slippers."

"You *could* help, you know," Yaten said, but with no real anger in his voice.

Taiki paused, considering. "I could. But I have other pressing matters." He smiled mischievously at Yaten and walked out, saying, "If you need me, I will be in my room."

"Thanks," Yaten muttered, sarcastically.

Seiya blinked. Something had happened; everything was suddenly back to normal. "Hey, what happened with you and Taiki?"

"Don't worry about it," Yaten said, dumping the shards of porcelain into the trashcan. "It's all okay now." He looked at Seiya. "You don't believe me, do you."

"Let's just say that after two weeks of you being gone and Taiki locking himself up in his room, it's a bit hard to swallow that everything's all hunky-dory now."

"We had a talk today, during lunch break. I told him I was going out with Ami."

Seiya did a double take. This was news. "And..."  


"And he's okay with it." Yaten sighed at Seiya's incredulous look. "If you don't believe me, ask him."

Seiya paused, considering, then shrugged it off. If everything was fine, then why worry? He'd had enough emotional turmoil to last him for a lifetime. He watched Yaten clean for a while, then said, "You owe us a few dishes."

"Me?! It's not my fault you have the temper tantrum of a child!"

"Who's fault was it that caused this temper tantrum?" Seiya crossed his arms stubbornly.

Yaten sighed, resignedly. "All right, I'll buy some new ones."

"Good!" Seiya grinned. "I'll help." 

"Pay, or shop?"

"Shop of course!"

Yaten wrinkled his nose. "No thanks. You have absolutely no taste. You'd probably buy some kind of football mug or something."

"Hey, now that's a good idea!"

"Seiya!"

Laughing, Seiya ran upstairs to change. He opened his door, and saw the framed picture of Usagi on his desk, staring at him. He held it for a moment, looking fondly at her face, smiling the smile that would never be meant for him. He bit his lip, debating whether to toss it in the trash or not. Finally, he placed it gently inside the first drawer. "Small steps, Seiya," he murmured, closing it. "Small steps."

He changed, then thundered down the stairs to drag Yaten into going shopping.

********

Author's notes:

First, as usual, I want to thank everyone who's replied to this fic. Reviews keep me going! ^__^ 

Second, I want to explain why I focused on Seiya in this particular chapter (since this *is* a Yaten/Ami fic after all). 

In the first chapter, I hinted that Seiya hadn't gotten over Usagi yet. And, I ended up bringing it back in chapter four. Since it's in the fic, I really couldn't let it go (and keep people wondering "What about Seiya?") so I included it in a separate chapter. 

Please Review! 

Snarf ^__^


	7. Chapter 7

TODOKANU OMOI- My Friend's Love

Chapter 7

The poet was good. Even Yaten had to admit that, although she reminded him of Jiro in his anime moods. He had never really been interested in poetry; that was Taiki's passion. Ami, however, was entranced by the reading, so Yaten endured. Besides, the coffee was really good.

"That was so romantic," Ami sighed, clapping as the poet bowed, concluding her performance. 

"Maybe," Yaten grudged, clapping that the performance was finally over.

"What didn't you like about it?"

"I don't think dying for the one you love is very romantic. It's kind of selfish. If you loved someone that much, you'd want to live for them, to keep them from being hurt."

Ami paused, thoughtfully. "I never thought about it that way before."

"Besides," Yaten sipped his coffee. "She reminded me of Jiro in one of his speeches."

Ami laughed. "Speaking of Yamada, how did you become friends?"

"What do you mean?"

"You are the only one in school that actually hangs out with him."

Yaten studied the cup in his hands. "I don't know. He sort of... 'found' me one day, and then I could never get rid of him." /And after a while, I didn't want to./ "He kind of grows on you. Like mold."

"Only you would compare someone to mold."

"What else would you compare him to?"

"I don't know. I'm not a poet."

"Then we'll ask her." Yaten gestured towards the young woman who was taking a break.

"Yaten!" Ami gasped, trying to decide whether to smile or be exasperated. "You can't do that!"

"Why not?" Yaten had a mischevious glint in his eye. "She's a poet. Similes are supposed to be her specialty."

The young woman had just reached them, a knowing smile on her face. She obviously thought that she was being called over to compose a love poem for a happy couple. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yeah, I've got this friend who's really annoying and an otaku-" As Yaten explained exactly what kind of a poem he wanted , Ami tried very hard not to laugh. /I can't believe he's doing this!/ she thought, holding her mouth with her hand at the poet's expression at her 'assignment.'

Though she obviously found the assignment distasteful, the poet managed to produce something that nearly described Jiro Yamada to a tee. And the large tip Yaten gave her helped to assuage her feelings. 

"How was that for poetry?" Yaten asked as the poet walked away to prepare for her next number.

"In the vein of Ogden Nash, it was quite good," Ami said, trying to keep a straight face. "But, poetry is supposed to be romantic."

"Who said?" Yaten asked.

"Well, it just.. *is*. Taiki used to-" Ami quickly clapped her hands over her mouth, a slow blush rising on her face. She was out with Yaten, not Taiki. Why, oh why did she even *say* that?

"-recite poetry to you," Yaten finished, all traces of humor gone from his face. "Yeah, he probably would have."

"Yaten, I didn't mean-"

"Forget it. Just forget it."

Ami shook her head. What happened? She hadn't meant to mention Taiki, especially not in front of Yaten. She felt the mood chill quickly, and grabbed her coffee cup, wanting something, anything to do. "I'm sorry," she murmured, wondering if there was a long line for the woman's bathroom.

Yaten looked at her, then sighed. "It really bothers you? Arguing?"

"I've... never been good at it."

"Not even with Rei as a friend?"

A smile creeped back onto Ami's face. "She never argued with me. Only Usagi."

"Tell me about it," Yaten groaned. "That seems to be all they ever do."

"And you and Seiya aren't the same way?"

"That's... different."

"In what way?"

"Seiya needs his ego deflated every now and then. If he gets too big a head, his shirts won't fit any more." Yaten thought for a while, then added, "besides, if he gets too used to having his own way, he won't be a good leader. He needs to be challenged, to be made to think about his decisions. That way, we know he's making the right ones when he has to decide quickly."

"Funny," Ami gazed at him fondly. "I never realized you had such deep thoughts."

Yaten sipped his coffee, smirking slightly. "There's a lot about me you don't know."

"True," Ami smiled. "But I'd like to find out."

****

The streets of Juuban were a lot quieter than the crowded streets of Shibuya. Ami looked up at the sky, with its sheen of twinkling stars. Despite that incident at the coffee shop, tonight was turning into a perfect night. They had played some video games at an arcade (Yaten was still in shock at being beaten by her), eaten dinner at an Indian restaraunt, and now they were walking to her house. 

It reminded her very much of a night, nearly three weeks ago, when she was out with another young man. One who never felt the same way she did about the night sky. It felt like deja-vu.

Only this time, it felt right.

It also felt like a very short walk from the station to the front of her house. "Well, we're here," Yaten said.

Ami nodded, trying to think of something to say. "Thank you," was the best she could come up with.

"Don't mention it." There was another nervous pause; somehow Ami couldn't bring herself to look in his eyes. "I'll see you on Monday, then."

"Okay." Ami opened the gate to her house. "Good night."

"Good night." 

/Well, that's that,/ Ami thought, slowly walking to her door. Although she was happy, she was also vaguely disappointed. But she couldn't put her finger on why. /Oh well. I'll see him tomorrow at school./ 

Her hand was on the doorknob when she heard him call her name. "Yes?" she turned about.

"You forgot something." 

"I did?" Ami rushed back to the gate, trying to recall all that she had brought with her that night. There hadn't been a forecast of rain, so she hadn't taken her umbrella. Or had she? "What?"

"This." Quickly, as if he would loose his nerve if he hesitated, Yaten leaned over and kissed her. 

****

"Knight to Queen 4, and checkmate," Taiki couldn't help but smile as he claimed his victory.

Seiya stared in disbelief at the move, then slumped back into his chair. "That's four games you've won already. And we've only been playing two hours."

"You keep making illogical strategical moves." Taiki explained, rearranging the pieces on the board. "You attack full force, with no thoughts as to who to sacrifice in order to get what you want."

"I hate losing pieces."

"Sometimes you must sacrifice." Taiki gave him a wistful smile. "You'd never make a good strategist."

"It's a good thing I'm a Sailor Scout, then," Seiya grinned at him, then straightened up. "One more game. I'll beat you this time!"

"I'm home!" Yaten entered the living room, a look of contentment on his face. "Playing chess? How many times have you lost Seiya?"

"How do you know I'm losing! I could be whipping Taiki's butt!"

"That bad?" Yaten turned to Taiki.

"Four times." Taiki answered, casually replacing the pieces.

"Okay, maybe I'm losing now, but I'll make a comeback!" Seiya insisted. "How'd the date go, by the way?"

Yaten smiled. "Really well. Thanks for the suggestion, Taiki."

"My pleasure." Taiki continued to place pieces on the board. "I'm glad things turned out so well."

"How far did you get?" Seiya leered.

"That's a rude question." Yaten cuffed him on the head. 

"Not that far then?"

"I'm going upstairs," Yaten announced, pointedly ignoring Seiya. "I've got some work to do."

"We have a concert in two weeks," Taiki reminded him. "The song still needs a bit more work."

"Okay, okay, I'll get to it." Yaten headed towards the stairs, pausing for a parting shot. "Good luck Seiya. You're going to need all you can get."

"That arrogant jerk," Seiya half-heartedly muttered. He looked up at Taiki, who was lost in thought. He knew that look well, he'd been through the same thing himself. "Still feeling bad?"

"It was the right thing to do," Taiki answered, noncomittically. "I wonder why I feel this way. It's illogical."

"If you were completely logical, I'd be worried," Seiya grinned. "Want to play basketball?"


	8. Epilogue

TODOKANU OMOI- My Friend's Love

Epilogue

"...and that's how things stand here," Seiya concluded, leaning back into the couch. 

Kakyuu pressed a few buttons on the screen, recording Seiya's report into her computer bank. "And what about Maker and Healer?"

"Yaten and Ami seem to be getting on well," Seiya grinned. "And Taiki's been hanging out with Makoto of all people. She's been teaching him basketball."

"Weren't you good at that?"

"Yeah, but Taiki needs a love life." Seiya grinned. "Besides, he likes hanging out with her."

"And yourself?"

"I'm doing fine. I'm still just as popular with the girls as I ever was." Seiya took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about not telling you earlier. It's just that, well, it seemed so petty at the time."

Kakyuu shook her head. "Fighter, Fighter, Fighter, why do you think I allowed you to go back to Earth in the first place? I may be your princess, but that does not mean I am cold-hearted. You can tell me anything, no matter how petty you think it may be. I care about the three of you."

"Thanks." Seiya felt a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He should have known that about his princess, but years of seperation had strained their relationship somewhat. "Oh, and call me Seiya. Even though these are names we made up, it somehow feels right to be called Seiya rather than Fighter."

"Then Seiya it is," Kakyuu smiled. "You three are no longer nameless. So much has happened since we seperated."

"Yeah," Seiya smiled thoughtfully. "And, even with all we went through, I wouldn't change a thing."

*******************

That's all folks! I am sorry about taking so long to finish it, but it is now over. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. You kept me going!

Snarf ^__^


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